I toured the D-Day beaches just a couple of weeks ago and it was simply awe inspiring. Seeing these beaches in person and taking in first hand the obstacles our men went through gave me an entirely new appreciation for the freedom I have. It is far too easy to forget the sacrifice of our military, even the sacrifice of those serving today. But seriously, they gave, and continue to give, their lives for a greater cause- so that you can be able to do anything you want to. There is no greater gift. Just remember that the next time you complain about anything in your day to day life. I know I try to.
About the beaches... First off, it was freezing. The water temperate was mid-50's. That is hypothermia cold. So imagine, you jump off your Higgins boat into near freezing water. Say you don't drown with the 40 or more pounds of gear you have on your back and you make it to shore. Bullets are flying at you from every direction. Your friends are dying. You look up to see huge cliffs with German bunkers everywhere, as far as the eye can see. Your fight has just begun, and its not even a fair one.
You've probably seen Saving Private Ryan, so I'll save you my poor reenactment. But do yourself a favor when you look at these photos-- try to put yourself in these men's shoes for 5 seconds. It's impossible to do so... to get a true understanding of what they went through, but you can at least think about it. Anyway, enjoy these photos, and enjoy your freedom. That was the whole point.
Somehow we succeeded, and the world was better for their sacrifice.
The French people were absolutely great about gathering our dead and giving them a proper burial right away.
Somehow we succeeded, and the world was better for their sacrifice.
No comments:
Post a Comment